Exciting announcements

The time has come when I can finally share my good news!

Drumroll please….

I got a promotion at work!

I will be in charge of inventory/sample requests, which is something I already do in my current job but this will allow me to help set up more of a process for it. We are still a young company so there are things that need more focus now than they once did. I am very excited to still be working under my same boss but I am excited to have some more responsibility.

Since graduating from school I have been making a conscience effort to listen to myself and my feelings. I have made it a habit to check in with myself and analyze the feelings I have in regards to the things in my life. I knew almost immediately that my last job at the hospital was not the right fit but I needed the money and it wasn’t ‘the worst’ job.

However, I reached a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I was so limited and without flexibility in my work schedule there was no way I could find another job. So, I did a lot of reflecting and came up with plans A and B and made the decision to put in my two weeks.

Leaving my job without anything lined up was scary, I won’t deny that, but I felt confident I made the right choice. I found my current job and really hit it off with my current boss but even then I had a few moments of hesitation that I chose correctly. Throughout everything I have listened to my gut and ultimately it has paid off.

I have been so lucky with my current company and I have finally reached a point where I am excited to go into work and finish the projects on my plate. I have said it before but honestly this job has brought me so much closer to the person I want to be professionally. I have learned mountains of important skills and I am figuring out the things I want to focus in on to advance my life forward.

Coming back from Hawaii and easing back into the work scene has been tough this time. I love working but I can’t stop thinking about Hawaii. Everything felt so simple there and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to live there for a bit. We joked about it while we were there, saying how my parents will visit when I move, but I think I actually want to. Obviously not anytime soon soon but maybe in the next year or so.

I have had the desire to move somewhere away from Portland for awhile now. Not because I don’t love Portland, but because I do. I want to raise my family in Portland and be close to my parents and because of that I need to utilize this time now to go try out somewhere new.

Maui was the first place I have travelled to where I honestly felt like I could live there no questions asked. I loved Dublin while I was there but knowing the weather situation that isn’t what I’m looking for right now. I am looking for warmth and sun and water and that is Maui.

This post has turned a little into rambling but I wanted to share the exciting news I have as well as the other feelings going through my being right now.

What are your thoughts? 

What is the best place you have ever lived? Or wanted to live?

Snapshots from my birthday

I had a truly wonderful birthday and thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes!

The birthday celebrations actually began the night before when I opened my gift from my parents. They got me the BEAUTIFUL camera I’ve been wanting and treated me to a Burgerville Blackberry Milkshake, which was, as usual, delicious.

The camera should also help with my goal of taking more photos! I made Nolan be a model for a little but I don’t think he was really feeling it. 😉

On my actual birthday I started the day off very early taking my parents to the airport.

I thought about going back to sleep but quickly realized I needed to shower so I powered through and surprisingly I wasn’t crazy tired all day like I thought I would be.

When I got to work my boss brought me over these beautiful flowers and the most delicious yogurt ever created. This might sound like an exaggeration but I promise this is the most amazing yogurt you’ll ever eat.
  

Ellenos is made up in Seattle at Pikes Place Market but they sell to a local grocery store here in Portland.

In the afternoon my coworkers brought out a beautiful fruit tart from La Provence and an adorable card.

The workday flew by and before I knew it, it was 5 o’clock!

I made it home in record time and came home to a very hungry Nolan. Before we made dinner Nolan gave me his birthday gift and I have to say, he did a good job. He got me some running stuff and an omni-heat Columbia jacket, which I have been wanting but am pretty sure I never mentioned anything to him. I am always a little shocked at how good he is at surprising me with his gifts.

I love practical gifts and he nails it every time. For our anniversary he got me a new purse that was the perfect size and exactly what I needed at the time.

We finished off the evening by making a veggie calzone, eating Ellenos yogurt and watching True Detective Season 1 and, oh my goodness, it got very stressful very fast but is SO good.

I had a truly wonderfully low-key birthday and feel very grateful for all the wonderful people in my life!

Stay tuned for a Blue Apron review and this weeks Things I’m Loving Friday!

Weekend download: California addition

Hello! I’m sorry for the lack of post this weekend but I was unplugged in sunny California saying goodbye to my best girlfriend. She is leaving in 11 days for the Phillipines so we spent Thursday night through Sunday soaking up as much time as we could together.

Thursday was also my last day at work and I had the best send away from my coworkers. They have been the best people the past nine months and they sent me off with donuts, flowers, wine and chocolate, as well as some cards that left me in tears.

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay too long after work because I had to run home, grab my bag and hop on the max to get to the airport. Maddy and I flew out of Portland and got to Sacramento around 9:30, where Ariana and Hannah picked us up and took us to In-n-Out for milkshakes and fries.

Friday we woke up late and went to lunch with Ariana’s grandpa and got beer samplers. I forgot to take a photo of my delicious pulled pork sandwich but I of course snapped a photo of the beer.

After lunch we went out to Lodi Lake and rented some stand up paddle boards for the afternoon. We were out on the water for about 3 hours and I had so much fun! I had never paddle boarded before and I can’t wait to go out again.

It was hot hot hot all weekend so being on the water was perfect.

Saturday we wanted to get back on the water but all the paddle boards were rented in both places we called so we decided to do what Ariana’s mom likes to call “ghetto pooloza”.

We had a blast out in the back yard for almost 6 hours, which led to a long evening nap followed by a few hours of board games.

I had an amazing weekend with some of my favorite girls and I can’t wait to reunite with everyone in 27 months in Thailand and/or Bali (but more on that later). Sunday was very hard and full of tears and goodbyes but I am so excited for Ariana and her brave journey to the Phillipines.

She will be starting a blog and once she gets it all ready I will make sure to link to it for anyone interested in reading about her Peace Corps work!

And for some housekeeping things, I am working on the second post for the job series on the job search and will hopefully have some good news on my job search by early next week!

Things I’m Loving Friday #9

Let me tell you, I am so happy it is Friday. It has been a pretty rough week and it has felt like Friday since Wednesday for me. There were some things going on at work this week that were very trying but I have a wonderful group of coworkers full of support. I feel so blessed to have these people in my life, they are some of the most compassionate and caring people I have ever met and I love them all so much.

I started two blog posts this week but neither has left the draft stage yet. I have some big plans for this blog that I want to get the ball rolling on I just need more hours in a day. In the meantime, here is what I am loving this week.

1. My coworkers

I wish I had a photo of all of us to share (and I really need to get one). I mentioned it above but honestly, with all my heart, I love every single one of my workers to the moon and back. We have so much love and support for one another and most importantly we take care of each other. These people are more than coworkers, they are my family. Writing this makes my eyes water at how much I feel for these people. We come from all over and our ages range from 22 (me, the baby) to almost 60 but we mesh so well together.

2. My tattoo

Yes, you read that right. This past weekend when I went to visit my girlfriends we decided to get tattoos to represent our friendship. There are four of us so and we wanted something small and simple so we figured this equilateral square would be the perfect fit. We all got them behind our right ears and I absolutely love it. I was remarkably nervous to tell my parents but they were both pretty cool about it.

3. Blue Star Donuts 

I finally got to try them! Since returning to the Portland area everyone has told me I need to go to Blue Star Donuts so Saturday morning before we left the city we stopped by and I had my first experience. I got the Lemon Poppyseed Buttermilk one and it was AMAZING. When he handed it over to me I couldn’t believe how heavy it was! The bottom was crispy and the inside was the perfect amount of cakey. I see a lot of these bad boys in my future.

Link love:

I haven’t shared links I have enjoyed for a while so here we go!

1. Amy trailer. The extended trailer for the documentary about the rise and struggle of Amy Winehouse.

2. Apartment Therapy’s Small Spaces. I am interested in rearranging my room for more space/less clutter and I love reading about how other people make small spaces beautiful and functional.

3. Real Simple’s Salary Negotiation. I am beginning to realize that, while I make enough now, it isn’t always going to be enough and I found a lot of these tips helpful. If you have ever read Lean In some of these same tips are mentioned there as well.

3. A/B Testing. I actually found this link while doing some research at my internship and I honestly I think it is genius. It is literally an experiment to see how users like interacting with a website best. There is a control and a variable and in the end you can find out which way people prefer your site to be laid out/worded/etc. It is a little nerdy but I’m into it, oh well!

That is all for this week’s things I’m loving. Feel free to chime in on the comments and say what you’re loving this week!

Ariana, the one moving to the Philippines, is coming up to Portland this weekend for Memorial day and we are hoping to get in some brunch, berry picking, mimosas and more! I will try my hardest to take photos and document the weekend to share with you.